DerbyDerby railway station /ˈdɑːrbi/ ( listen), also known as
DerbyDerby Midland Station, is a main line station serving the city of
DerbyDerby in England. Owned by
Network RailNetwork Rail and managed by East Midlands
Trains, the station is also used by
CrossCountryCrossCountry services and one
daily Northern service.[1] It is situated to the south-east of Derby
city centre, and is close to the west bank of the River Derwent.

Overview[edit]
The decision by the
Midland RailwayMidland Railway to have their headquarters in
Derby, with its central location made it a busy node of the rail
network. First opened in 1839, it was at the time one of the largest
in the country and was unusual for being shared by more than one
company. Until recently,[year needed] major carriage and
locomotive workshops as well as the Research Division in the Railway
Technical Centre were housed there.
The station is an interchange point between the
Midland Main LineMidland Main Line from
London St Pancras to
LeedsLeeds and long-distance services on the
Cross-Country route from Aberdeen through
BirminghamBirmingham New Street to
Penzance or Bournemouth (the zero milepost on the latter route is at
the south end of platform 1). Until the mid twentieth century, the
station was also served by through trains from
ManchesterManchester and Glasgow
to London.
Local services from
NottinghamNottingham to Matlock along the Derwent Valley
Line serve the station as well as local and semi-fast services to
Stoke-on-Trent, Crewe,
BirminghamBirmingham and Cardiff Central.
DerbyDerby station has six platforms (all but Platform 5 are through
platforms) connected by a footbridge, which is used as an exit to
Pride ParkPride Park and a car park.
History[edit]
Early East Midlands railway schemes[edit]

This section may stray from the topic of the article. Please help
improve this section or discuss this issue on the talk page. (December
2010)

After the building of the
Stockton and Darlington RailwayStockton and Darlington Railway in 1825, a
number of ambitious projects for long-distance lines between cities
had been mooted. Among these was a line between London and Edinburgh,
for both goods and passengers, via
BedfordBedford and Leeds, passing in
between Carlisle and Newcastle.
Meanwhile, a number of short lines were built for specific purposes.
Among these were the Mansfield and Pinxton and the
LeicesterLeicester and
Swannington. The Mansfield and Pinxton was a feeder for a canal and
was a wagonway, but these short lines were pivotal in later events.
Possibly the longest was the Cromford and High Peak Railway, opened in
1833, to connect the
Cromford CanalCromford Canal with the Peak Forest Canal. It
attracted interest because it provided access to
ManchesterManchester through
the
Peak DistrictPeak District of Derbyshire, even today an obstacle to transport.
In the 1830s, lines were already in progress between
BristolBristol and
London and from each to
BirminghamBirmingham and thence to
LiverpoolLiverpool and
Manchester, and their promoters were looking ahead. Three schemes came
to the fore for the East Midlands. The Midland Grand Junction Railway
would connect
BirminghamBirmingham with
SheffieldSheffield and Derby, with a branch to
NottinghamNottingham and another branch from
SheffieldSheffield to Manchester. There
would also be a line to the East Coast at Goole. In 1824 the London
Northern Railway Company was formed to link Birmingham, Derby,
Nottingham, Hull and
ManchesterManchester with London. Two options were
proposed. One would branch at Loughborough, with branches for
NottinghamNottingham and Derby, and proceeding to
ManchesterManchester by the Cromford and
High Peak Railway. The other option would pass through Northampton,
with a branch to Birmingham, go on to Derby, with a branch to
Nottingham, and thence to the Cromford and High Peak. The Grand
Midland RailwayMidland Railway was a proposal to branch from the London to Birmingham
railway, already under consideration, at Northampton, and bring it
through Leicester,
LoughboroughLoughborough and
DerbyDerby to the Cromford and High
Peak.
Towards the end of the 1820s the economic climate of the country had
deteriorated and many investors were waiting to see how the new
LiverpoolLiverpool and
ManchesterManchester Railway would succeed. What investment that
was forthcoming was for ventures with a reasonable expectation of a
good, and rapid, return. Although the surveys were useful in the
planning of later lines, the three lines were never built.[2]
DerbyDerby investors, naturally, favoured the scheme by the Midland Grand
Junction to connect through
DerbyDerby (at what was to be called the Grand
Central Station) to the
Cromford and High Peak RailwayCromford and High Peak Railway and thence to
Manchester, since the London Northern would pass through Sandiacre
some ten miles away. In the event neither line was built; the Cromford
and High Peak Railway was not ideally suited to passenger working, and
an alternative via
BakewellBakewell and
Chapel-en-le-FrithChapel-en-le-Frith would encounter
very difficult terrain. (
ManchesterManchester was not, in fact, reached until
later in the century by the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands
Junction Railway and its extensions.)
Three railways[edit]
The
Midland Counties RailwayMidland Counties Railway was originally proposed to connect the
Mansfield and Pinxton RailwayMansfield and Pinxton Railway to
LeicesterLeicester to supply coal. However,
supplies provided by the canal network and the
River TrentRiver Trent to
Nottingham, meant that few people were willing to invest.[3]
Provision of coal supplies to
DerbyDerby were via the
DerbyDerby Canal but this
had not been a resounding success. People in
DerbyDerby were supportive of
any scheme which would bring a railway to the town.
George HudsonGeorge Hudson encouraged the building of North Midland Railway, later
becoming its chairman. Meanwhile, financiers in Birmingham, including
G.C.Glyn, a banker and chairman of the London and
BirminghamBirmingham Railway,
were looking to expand their system. The
BirminghamBirmingham and
DerbyDerby Junction
Railway would it give a link from Yorkshire to London, with access to
the coalfields.
The promoters of the
Midland Counties RailwayMidland Counties Railway suggested a line linking
Nottingham,
DerbyDerby and Leicester, with an extension to Rugby for
London. Their original plan in 1833 had been to bring their line to
DerbyDerby at Darby's Yard and Exeter Gardens, at the east side of the
present Market Place, with a bridge over the Derwent. Following
Vignoles's reassessment in 1835 a new route was proposed, either north
or south of the
DerbyDerby Canal to a terminus near St. Mary's Bridge with
a branch to Full Street near to John Lombe's Silk Mill. Both options
would cross the North Midland lines north of the other station.[4]
The North Midland planned to build their station near
NottinghamNottingham Road,
avoiding a river bridge, while the
BirminghamBirmingham and
DerbyDerby planned to
build theirs nearby. They realised the value of a link with the North
Midland, and decided to bridge the river and share its station. In
1836 the Town Council suggested a single station for all three
companies and the Midland Counties agreed.
One site considered was an island bounded by the River Derwent and the
canal, called The Holmes, now Bass's Recreation Ground. The space was
restricted and susceptible to flooding, and the trackwork would be
complicated. The selected site was further south on the west bank,
Borough's Fields, in Litchurch, at the southern side of the
Castlefields estate.[5] It was a mile from the town, but the Council
built a carriageway to the town centre, along Siddals Lane, now
Siddals Road. The station was built by the North Midland, with the
other two companies renting spaces. The whole arrangement was
confirmed by the
North Midland RailwayNorth Midland Railway Act of 1839.
The Tri Junct Station[edit]

Although some sources refer to it as the 'Tripartite Station'.[6] it
became known as the 'Tri Junct Station',[4][7] It was 1,050 ft
(320 m) long with one through platform plus a north and a south
bay, the main platform and bays connected to seven stabling roads by a
series of carriage turntables (rolling-stock was moved around the
station by hand). These platform and stabling roads were all beneath a
three-bay train shed.[8]
Whishaw[9] described it thus: "The admirably contrived and elegant
roofs, the spacious, the great length of the whole erection extending
to upwards of a thousand feet. All unite in rendering it the most
complete structure of the kind in the United Kingdom or perhaps the
world."

Sketch diagram showing platform arrangement when first opened

The platform was in three parts with the centre section built forward
as in the diagram, which allowed trains some freedom of movement.[10]
With one platform for passengers to board and alight, it was not
necessary for them to cross running lines when changing trains. The
station offices were also partitioned into three sections, each line
having its own facilities.
Fronting this was a magnificent two-storey stone building designed by
Francis Thompson. The North Midland also built a cluster of workers'
houses of which the present Midland Terrace remains preserved as a
conservation area.
At each end was a hotel. The Midland Hotel, for first class
passengers, is said to be the first provincial railway hotel following
on after that at Euston in London.[7] The Brunswick Inn was for second
class passengers and railway workers. The saying went that patrons of
the first chatted about hunting and shooting, of the other, shunting
and hooting.[5]
The first public departure from a temporary platform was on 4 June
1839[11] when a Midland Counties train ran to Nottingham. (the
inaugural run having taken place from
NottinghamNottingham on the 30th)[12] The
first train to
BirminghamBirmingham departed on 12 August in the same year, from
another temporary platform further south. The Tri Junct Station
finally opened when the North Midland line was completed to Rotherham
Masborough on 11 May 1840, reaching
LeedsLeeds seven weeks later. The
station's official name was
DerbyDerby Station.[11]
Midland Railway[edit]

The Midland Railway's coat of arms at the station's entrance

The Victorian frontage to the station by Charles Trubshaw.

In 1844 all three railways amalgamated to become the Midland Railway,
with headquarters at
DerbyDerby station. Joseph Paxton, a director of the
railway, produced his first sketch for the Crystal Palace during a
board meeting there.[7] The North Midland repair shop and two
locomotive sheds formed the Midland's main locomotive works.
In 1846 a north facing spur (
DerbyDerby North Junction) was added from the
Midland Counties line. In 1867 a loop was added to the south, allowing
through running for trains from London. The original section was
closed in 1969. The junction to the south is called London Road.
In 1858 the station was extended with extra offices, improved
facilities and a porte-cochère for carriages, designed by John
Holloway Saunders, the
Midland RailwayMidland Railway architect. An island platform,
the present 2 and 3, was added which was accessed via a level crossing
from platform 1.
In 1881 platforms 4 to 6 (Platform 5 being a bay to the south) were
added, being 850 feet (260 m) long and 45 feet (14 m) wide.
The level crossing which gave access from platform 1 to platform 2 was
removed and access provided by a new footbridge 16 feet (4.9 m)
wide with staircases down to each platform. Platforms 2 and 3 were
lengthened by about 350 feet (110 m) and new waiting rooms and
refreshment rooms were provided, designed by the company architect
John Holloway Sanders. A subway was installed to allow better transfer
of luggage between platforms with hydraulic lifts to raise and lower
luggage.[13] The turntables were removed and replaced by scissors
crossovers, the whole complex controlled by a signal box on the centre
platform.[7]
The frontage and offices were rebuilt around 1892 to designs by the
architect of the Midland Railway, Charles Trubshaw.
The station and railway workshops adjoining it were the target of a
ZeppelinZeppelin bombing raid during World War I, in 1916, though only slight
damage was inflicted.
London, Midland and Scottish Railway[edit]
The 'main line' on which
DerbyDerby station sat was that from London to
Manchester, carrying named expresses such as the 'Palatine' and the
'Peaks', while trains to
LeedsLeeds and Scotland tended to use the Erewash
Valley Line and expresses to Edinburgh, such as
The Waverley travelled
through Corby and Nottingham. The line from
LeedsLeeds was nevertheless
busy with trains to the south west and Cornwall, and summer specials
to
PaigntonPaignton and Torquay. It had a named express, the 'Devonian', which
ran from
BradfordBradford to Bristol.
In World War II, on 15 January 1941, the station was attacked again,
becoming one of the few locations in
DerbyDerby to suffer significant bomb
damage. The overall roof of the train shed and platform six were
severely damaged, with the loss of most of the rest of the glass,
although the Victorian frontage of the station survived.
British Railways[edit]
The station was renamed
DerbyDerby Midland Station on 25 September
1950.[11] It was extensively rebuilt between 1952 and 1954 using
pre-stressed concrete. The cost of the modernisation plan was
£200,000[14] (equivalent to £5,280,000 in 2016).[15] The station
signal box was also rebuilt, described by the staff as 'a cupboard
under the stairs'.[16]
From 6 May 1968, the station was renamed
DerbyDerby on timetables and
platforms, though the full name of
DerbyDerby Midland Station was retained
on the station's main sign.[11] Even today, the fuller name is
sometimes used, including on the modern main sign (erected 1985) and
on the station's electronic departures board.

DerbyDerby station excluding goods roads and sidings, showing provision for
bidirectional working for any platform

With the advent of power signalling in 1969, the signal box and the
crossovers disappeared, and the tracks approaching the station were
relaid to allow trains from any direction to enter or leave any
platform. The original
Midland Counties RailwayMidland Counties Railway route from the north
end of the station to Spondon Junction via Chaddesden sidings was
closed as part of this work (trains travelling between Nottingham
& stations towards
BirminghamBirmingham must now reverse at the station).

The Victorian station clock, now in the car park

Further work in 1985 saw the demolition of the historic Victorian
station entrance and booking hall. The entrance's original clock was
moved to the north end of the car park. The coats of arms of the
Midland RailwayMidland Railway and of the City of
DerbyDerby was fixed to the frontage of
the new replacement booking hall and entrance. The decision to
demolish the old building was a controversial one at the time.[17]
Post-privatisation[edit]
Upon the privatisation of British Rail, the station became owned by
RailtrackRailtrack and later Network Rail. Day-to-day operation was initially
with
Midland MainlineMidland Mainline who refurbished it with the installation of a
large electronic departure board in the station entrance hall and
smaller boards on all platforms. The station is now managed by East
Midlands Trains.

The station's departures board

In 2005, the footbridge connecting the platforms, which had been
temporarily supported for at least 30 years, was replaced. Whilst
doing this, engineers discovered that there were stresses in the
concrete of the 1950s canopy. Work to demolish the canopies and erect
new ones began in mid-2007 and was completed in October 2009.[18]
A £15m signalling centre, the
DerbyDerby Rail Operating Centre,[19]
(formerly known as East Midlands Control Centre), was opened
immediately south of the station on 3 April 2008. This replaced the
1960s era panel boxes here and at Trent Junction (near Nottingham),
plus the 1986 one at
LeicesterLeicester and various small manual & panel
boxes elsewhere in the area. When fully complete, it will be one of 12
and supervise over 350 route miles of railway.[20]
Footbridge[edit]
On 14 February 2001,
DerbyDerby City Council,
Midland Main LineMidland Main Line and
RailtrackRailtrack agreed a £1,736,000-scheme to connect
DerbyDerby Midland station
to the
Pride ParkPride Park development.[21]:2
DerbyDerby City Council provided
£270,000 to extend the station footbridge to reach
Pride ParkPride Park and the
car park.[22]:2
RailtrackRailtrack and
Midland Main LineMidland Main Line entered into a
Covenant With Regard to the Footbridge, that the non-travelling public
are free to cross during station hours[21]:13[22]:3 with exceptions
for Christmas Day and Boxing day, and a proviso that the footbridge
does not become a public right of way.[21]:13
On 21 June 2007
East Midlands TrainsEast Midlands Trains took over the franchise.[23]:1
Under the franchise agreement
East Midlands TrainsEast Midlands Trains was required to
install automatic ticket gate lines at
DerbyDerby station.[23]:87
On 3 April 2009
East Midlands TrainsEast Midlands Trains sought an amendment from Derby
City Council to install gates to "reduce unauthorised use of trains
and improve security".[22]:3
DerbyDerby City Council consented but required
removal within 42 days should
East Midlands TrainsEast Midlands Trains be found in
non-compliance of the additional terms.[22]:3 Ticket barriers were
introduced on 18 August 2009.[24][25] The barriers must be left open
if they are not manned at both ends,[22]:14 and ad-hoc usage of the
footbridge must be allowed at all other times.[22]:14
Pass Scheme[edit]
Before the start of barrier introduction, posters and a road show were
held, introducing the Pass Scheme for footbridge users.[22]:9–10[24]
The publicity resulted in over 800 pass requests in the first weeks
before gating.[24] The pass scheme covers non-rail pedestrians and
cyclists travelling "from
Pride ParkPride Park to central
DerbyDerby or
vice-versa".[22]:11–10 The agreement requires EMT to make
application forms available online as well as at
DerbyDerby station.[22]:11
Pass applications at the station are processed immediately, and all
other applications are posted out within 48 hours.[22]:12–13 There
is no administration charge for issuing or renewing of passes, with a
charge of £5.00 for replacing each lost pass.[22]:13 Passes not
swiped at each end of the bridge are revoked.[26][27]
DerbyDerby City
Council may audit withdrawn passes.[22]:13
Improvement works 2014–2017[edit]
As part of Derby's City Centre Eastern Fringes Area Action Plan, plans
for new urban village development 'Castleward' suggest a complete
overhaul of the rail station's frontage.[28] Plans also focus on a new
pedestrian walkway and cycleway routed between the station and the
city centre, featuring new retail, residential and commercial
developments.[29]
The
Midland Main LineMidland Main Line electrification project—part of a wider
electrification programme—will also involve remodelling the track
and signalling at Derby: services approaching from the north will be
segregated from those approaching from the south and west, thus
removing the current bottleneck at the station.[30] The work is
expected to be complete by December 2017.[30] A seventh platform will
be built to the north of the current platforms, and this, along with
the current platform 6, will be used solely by London–Sheffield
services.
CrossCountryCrossCountry services between
BirminghamBirmingham and
SheffieldSheffield will
use the southernmost platforms, with Nottingham–
BirminghamBirmingham trains
reversing at the platforms in between.[31]
Station Masters[edit]

Train times and station information for
DerbyDerby railway station from
National Rail

Map of the station in 1887
DerbyDerby Train Station Information
DerbyDerby Cheap Train Tickets
Page with more info on the station
Science and Society: Trackside view of original Station
Science and Society: '
DerbyDerby Railway Station and Midland Hotel', 1840
"
DerbyshireDerbyshire Photographs"
DerbyDerby Station as it was in 1902
"Geograph British Isles"
DerbyDerby Station as it is now
DerbyDerby Midland signalling 1839–2006
Falco Completes Work at
DerbyDerby Station